IPSWICH Buses - owned by the people of Ipswich - is one of this town's real success stories.We have public transport network to be proud of - one that provides a reliable efficient service to most parts of the town.

IPSWICH Buses - owned by the people of Ipswich - is one of this town's real success stories.

We have public transport network to be proud of - one that provides a reliable efficient service to most parts of the town.

And it is a network which has - bucking the national trend - seen passenger numbers increase.

So at a time when the government and environmental experts are telling us to leave our cars at home, why on earth is its owner - Ipswich council - taking cash out of the company and forcing it to cut back on services?

A key factor in attracting new passengers is offering comfortable modern buses. So why is the council forcing the cash squeeze after it has been told this will force the company to freeze new purchases for at least four years?

In the world of buses, this is cloud cuckooland.

It is all very well for councillors to say: “Our buses are newer than most companies.” That is the reason Ipswich Buses is more successful at attracting and retaining its passengers than most other companies.

If Ipswich council wants this town to go down the road of having a second-rate bus company merely offering a service to those who can't afford any other method of transport, this is the way to do it!

It all flies in the face of their appeals for people to leave cars at home.

If you want to ease congestion by removing cars from the roads. If you want to cut down on choking fumes which already make four areas of town pollution hotspots, you have to offer an attractive alternative - and that means good buses.

Yet the council is showing that having a good bus service is not as important as shaving a penny off council tax bills.

Coming at a time when the national leaders of the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties are busy telling us about the importance of green issues, the actions of the councillors in Ipswich look very puzzling indeed.

TONY Hadley was one of the biggest stars of the 1980s as the frontman and voice of New Romantics Spandau Ballet.

So it is a real coup for the Suffolk Press Ball to have him topping the bill for the glittering event in June.

He is promising to treat guests to many of the group's biggest hits including True, Gold, and To Cut a Long Story Short.

The Press Ball is always a great event - and has raised more than £250,000 for charity over the last 10 years - with Tony Hadley topping the bill it should truly be a stellar night out.

NEWS that a horse has been savaged by a dog in a field at Sproughton is very worrying for people living in the area.

The dog must be identified and action taken to ensure it is never able to savage anyone - already this year there have been too many tragedies involving dangerous dogs across the country.